System and method of expediting certain jobs in a computer processing system

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment, jobs requiring short processing time are given preference over jobs requiring long processing time by processing to completion all jobs for the first N seconds of the job. Jobs requiring longer than N seconds to complete are given a lower priority than a newly arriving job can and continue being processed, but are subject to reduction in resources by new jobs as each new job arrives.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to computer processing systems and more particularly to systems and methods for expediting certain jobs in a computer processing system.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

In certain computer processing systems there are workloads (jobs) that have long processing time and certain jobs that process quickly. Since the short running jobs are those upon which humans are typically waiting, it enhances productivity if the quick processing jobs are handled in a queue separate from the long jobs.

For example, in a circuit or chip design simulation environment there are some simulations having a long processing time and thus a user will typically either run these jobs over night or at least will not expect the job to complete for a long period of time. Thus, these long running jobs are not sensitive to latency, that is, if they finish in 10.1 hours instead of 10 hours, nobody is inconvenienced.

Other jobs, however, are quick compiles of designs or simulations, for example, of a small section that an engineer is working on. The results of that short job are usually key to the next design step that the designer needs to perform. Quicker turnaround of this job then results in greater efficiency of the designer. Clearly, short jobs should be given preference over long jobs, but without sophisticated code or elaborate queuing systems, it is not always clear at job launch time which jobs will run quickly and which jobs are long running jobs.

One prior solution to this problem is for the user to establish separate queues (one for a short running job and one for a long running job). This works if jobs are correctly entered, but leaves significant room for abuse or simple mistakes. Also, this system limits the pool of running jobs to a set ratio of short to long, which may need to change over time. Another system is to only run long jobs at night. This reserves the computer-system for short jobs during the day, but leaves computer-resources unused if the short jobs do not use up all of the CPU (or other resource) capacity.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, jobs requiring short processing time are given preference over jobs requiring long processing time by processing to completion all jobs for the first N time period (usually seconds) of the job. Jobs requiring longer than N time period to complete are given a lower priority than a newly arriving job and can continue being processed, but are subject to reduction in resources as newer jobs as such newer jobs arrive.

In one embodiment, long jobs are stopped when new jobs arrive and resume with short jobs finish. Medium and long jobs are done in FIFO order if no new short jobs arrive. This would be very beneficial to short jobs, but would be very detrimental to the long jobs' overall performance as stopping a job entirely may have many undesirable side effects.

In another embodiment, the system controls processing levels to control priority of the individual jobs.

In still another embodiment, jobs are moved to workload management (WLM) groups, which represent a pool of CPU resources shared by jobs in the group. Resizing the pool (as jobs are added or finished) has immediate effects on the job's resource use and runtime, but not the negative side effects of stopping the job or offers more control than adjusting levels individual priority levels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a system for expediting certain jobs in a computer system; and

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a method for processing certain jobs to completion ahead of earlier started jobs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment 10 of a system for expediting certain jobs in a computer system. Embodiment 10 is a batch processing system in which a group of jobs are started at the same time. However, the concepts discussed herein will work for systems in which jobs are presented sequentially.

In embodiment 10, workload manager (WLM) 105 maintains separate resource pools for processing work jobs. As shown, there are three such pools, with pool 102 being a high priority group pool, i.e., pool 102 contains jobs that have not consumed more than N seconds of CPU time. In one embodiment, processing jobs in this manner (i.e., high priority jobs) are sized by WLM (between 10 and 80% of CPU allocation) based on actual CPU consumption. If the jobs want more processing they get more subject to, for example, a 10% minimum and 80% maximum of CPU allocation across all CPUs in the machine.

Pool 103, in the embodiment, is a medium priority group pool such that any job in the pool has consumed more than N CPU time, but less than, say, 10N CPU time. The medium pool, for example, is sized (between 10 and 80% of CPU allocation) based on actual consumption subject to what the short pool has already taken. If the jobs want more processing, and more is available, they get more subject to only the, for example, 10% minimum and 80% maximum of CPU allocation. Thus, if the short pool is using 50% of the processing capability then only 40% is available to the medium group (and 10% for the long jobs' minimum as will be discussed).

An optimization would be to reduce the medium and long group from 10% minimums to 1%, or to only enforce the minimum allocation if there are jobs in any group requiring processing. For the minimum equals 10% case the following chart would apply.

Group Min Effective Max Short 10 80 Medium 10 80 − (short_allocation − 10) Long 10 80 − ((short_allocation − 10) + (medium_allocation − 10))

Pool 104 is a low priority group pool such that any job in the pool has consumed more than 10N of CPU time. In this case, for example, the short and medium groups get the processing they need first, then the long group gets what is left. Thus, the 80% only happens when the short group and medium group are relatively idle.

Data collector scripts are called by the WLM daemon process to watch CPU seconds of individual job processes. The data collector program moves the jobs onto the next group if it accumulates enough CPU time to cross the job (or group) threshold.

All jobs are started in short group 102 where they run for the first N CPU seconds. After N CPU seconds, if a job has not completed it is moved to a lower priority group. If the lower priority job accumulates a second threshold of CPU time, such as 10N seconds, it is placed in the lowest priority group (pool 104). This method allocates CPU resources first to running short length jobs, then to medium length jobs, then to long jobs. Medium and long jobs have a minimum resource allocation, such as 10%, so these jobs continue to be processed even if there are many short jobs running.

Note that the N value for the initial threshold times (and the value 10N) can be set (and changed from time to time) by the user or if desired by WLM 103 monitoring the system and making adjustments according to a plan. A reasonable default would be, for example, 10 min. Also note that priority levels can take into account resources other than just CPU and could include, for example, memory, disk IO, coprocessors, etc.

Note that the jobs do not need to be instrumented, and the users do not have to worry about special short or long queue submission commands. In fact, the users do not even have to know how long their job will take since if it is a short job it is automatically expedited.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 1, job B is a short job (i.e., it has processed in less than, say, 10 minutes and has completed prior to the end of N seconds. Jobs A and C did not complete within N seconds and thus have been moved to medium priority group 103. Job C completes within this period (between time N and, say, time 10N). Job A has not completed within time 10N and thus is moved to the lowest priority in group 104 where job A joins other long running jobs D, E, F, G, H.

Note that the time N and the time 10N are arbitrary, as is the number of priority levels.

FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a method for processing certain jobs to completion ahead of earlier started jobs.

As shown in embodiment 20, process 201 begins a job, or a batch, and process 202 assigns the job the highest priority. This means that an established maximum amount of resources are assigned to the job. For single resource systems, the single resource, usually a CPU, is assigned to that job and the CPU would not be processing another job in the system. Alternatively, the CPU can process the new job for say 80% of its time while devoting the other 20% to jobs having lower priorities.

Process 203 determines if the new job has been processed to completion within N seconds. As discussed, N is an arbitrary time period and can be, if desired, adjusted from time to time. If it has the job is, by definition, competed and nothing further need be done. If the job has not completed, process 204 assigns it to a lower priority and it is processed either after all new jobs (jobs holding higher priority) are complete or during the, say 20% of CPU time set aside for lower priority jobs.

If there are one or more intermediate priority levels then processes 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210 and 211 continue to move the job to lower and lower priority status if the job has not completed within each defined time. Note that the system should be designed such that even at the lowest priority a job will make reasonable progress towards completion regardless of how many other new or higher priority jobs arrive in the system. This is accomplished by being sure that all priority levels receive some minimum amount of resource time. 

1. The method of expediting jobs in a computer processing system, said method comprising: processing each incoming job in sequence of arrival until said job is completed; and allowing each subsequent incoming job to be processed, ahead in terms of associated resources of the continued processing of any job not processed to completion within a time period N.
 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising: processing to completion using diminished resources all jobs which have not processed to completion within said time period of duration N.
 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising: processing jobs that have not completed by the end of said time period N for a further time period of duration M, said jobs being processed during time period M being processed with more allocated resources than jobs that have not processed to completion during said time period M.
 4. A method for batch processing jobs in a computer system comprising: creating a first interval of duration N for processing all jobs of a certain batch presented for processing, said jobs processed with a priority greater than the priority for the processing of jobs presented for processing in a batch presented for processing earlier in time than said certain batch, which earlier in time jobs have not completed within their respective interval of duration N.
 5. The method of claim 4 further comprising: creating a second interval of duration M for processing all jobs that have not been completed within said first interval N, wherein jobs processed during said second interval have a priority less than jobs being processed during said first interval and greater than jobs which have not been completed during said second interval.
 6. The method of claim 5 where M is approximately 10N.
 7. The method of claim 5 wherein said timed interval is the processing time devoted to actually processing jobs in said batch.
 8. A method for batch processing comprising: assigning to each batch of jobs to be processed a first timed interval N; and processing jobs that are within their assigned timed interval N for the duration of said timed interval, or until said jobs are finished, which ever comes first, said processing having a higher priority than do jobs from earlier batches that have not completed during their respective assigned timed intervals.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said timed interval N is selectively variable.
 10. A method for allocating resources to jobs, said method comprising: processing a job in sequence of arrival with a first definable amount of resources, and reallocating the amount of resources processing said job to a lower, second definable amount of resources after the exhaustion of said first definable amount of resources.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the magnitude of said first definable amount of resources is greater than the magnitude of said second definable amount of resources.
 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising: reallocating the amount of resources processing said job to a lower, third definable amount of resources after the exhaustion of said second definable amount of resources.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the magnitude of said second definable amount of resources is greater than the magnitude of said third definable amount of resources.
 14. The method of claim 11 wherein said resources is selected from the group of: CPU, input/output, memory.
 15. A computer comprising: a workload manager for allowing a newly presented workload to be processed for a period of time N ahead of earlier arriving workloads when said earlier arriving workloads have consumed at least said N amount of processing time.
 16. The computer of claim 15 wherein said workload manager further allows said earlier arriving workloads to be processed with a duty cycle less than the duty cycle with which said newly arriving workloads are processed.
 17. A system for allocating resources to jobs, said system comprising: means for quantifying usage of at least one of said resources for a particular job; means for comparing said quantified usage of a particular job to at least one definable time limit; and means for assigning one of at least two priorities to each said job based on said comparing.
 18. The system of claim 17 further comprising: means for allocating said computing resources to jobs being processed on said system based, at least in part, on said assigned priority.
 19. The system of claim 18 wherein quantifying means comprises: means for aggregating said usage among a plurality of jobs in a batch of jobs.
 20. A computer program product having computer readable media, said media comprising: code for processing a job in sequence of arrival with a first definable amount of resources; and code for reallocating the amount of resources to a lower, second definable amount of resources after the exhaustion of said first definable amount of resources. 